Featured Guest Performers

Lori Akins, principal flute of the Springfield Symphony, also plays flute and piccolo with Columbus and Ohio Valley symphonies. She is on the faculty at Cedarville, Heidelberg, and Wittenberg universities where she performs on faculty performing artist series, teaches applied flute and directs flute choirs. Lori has performed and presented masterclasses and clinics at universities, high schools, and at National Flute Association conventions. She has served as an adjudicator for Music Teachers National Association, Ohio Music Teachers Association, Northeastern Ohio Flute Association, Central Ohio Flute Association, National Flute Association, Columbus Symphony Young Musicians Competition, and many others. Lori previously served the National Flute Association as secretary and general competitions coordinator.

Carrie Banfield-Taplin has been second horn in the Detroit Opera Orchestra for 35 years. She is also principal horn in the Flint and Warren Symphonies. Carrie grew up in Grand Blanc, MI and studied horn at the FIM with her aunt, Nancy Ruebke. After earning horn performance degrees from the University of MI and Northwestern University, she and her fellow professional hornist husband settled first in Ann Arbor and then in Maumee, OH. Carrie is instructor of horn at Heidelberg University and a member of the faculty woodwind quintet. She is a past member of the Chicago Civic and Florida Chamber Orchestras, Des Moines Metro Opera and the Galliard Brass Ensemble. Carrie can be heard on Galliard’s award-winning recordings “Carols for Brass” volumes 1-3, and “Music for Brass and Organ” with Marilyn Mason.

As an active bassoonist and chamber musician, Christian Green is a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony Reed Trio. The trio travels to schools during the school year giving performances and educating young people about these instruments. Christian is also the bassoonist for Chamber Artists of Southeast Michigan (CASM). Christian subs often with the award winning Akropolis Reed Quintet. Christian is currently principal bassoon of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and Oakland Symphony Orchestra (MI). He also performs with the Lansing Symphony, Rochester Symphony (MI), and the Michigan Sinfonietta. Christian maintains a private studio in Ann Arbor and teaches bassoon at Heidelberg University. He is completing a DMA at Michigan State University and holds a BM from University of Michigan and MM from Northwestern University.

A native of North Carolina, Ann Arbor based oboist Jeremiah Quarles strives to bring mindfulness and joy to the stage. An avid performer, passionate educator, and committed reed-maker; Jeremiah has been featured with numerous orchestras throughout the Midwest and East Coast, including the Dearborn Symphony, Michigan Philharmonic, Piedmont Wind Symphony, North State Chamber Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and as acting English Horn for the Battle Creek Symphony’s 2017-2018 season. His playing has been praised as, “sensitive and spellbindingly lovely.” Jeremiah serves on the faculty of Heidelberg University and Concordia University – Ann Arbor as Adjunct Professor of Oboe. Jeremiah holds MM degrees from the University of Michigan, and a BM in Oboe Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His principal teachers have included Dr. Nancy Ambrose King, Dr. Ashley Barret, and Mr. Robert Burkett.

Heather Shea Lanners received her Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada as a student of John Paul Bracey. She then continued her studies in Paris with French pianist Cecile Ousset. While in Paris, she also earned the Diplome Supérieur en Musique de Chambre at the Ecole Normale de Musique. Since the completion of a Masters Degree in Piano Performance and Literature with Barry Snyder at the Eastman School of Music, Ms. Lanners has worked as the Opera Coach at both the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Akron. Some of her professional engagements have included performing regularly as the pianist for the Cleveland Opera on Tour, and as a resident pianist for the prestigious Meadowmount School of Music String Camp.

Professor Lanners has performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe in both solo piano and chamber music. She has performed in public master classes for such artists as Jean Barr, Natalia Antonova, Robert Silverman, Anner Bijlsma, and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. She has participated with full scholarship in the Holland Summer Music Sessions, where she performed daily in public master classes and recitals located in and around Amsterdam.

Ms. Lanners is engaged frequently as an adjudicator throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. She has also served as the Chair for the OMTA and MTNA State Piano Competitions (2006-2014). She is active as a guest lecturer, having presented lecture-recitals at the Eastman School of Music Summer Piano Festival and for the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association Conference. In its June/July, 2001 issue, American Music Teacherpublished her article, "Welcoming the Collaborative Arts into our Teaching Studios." Ms. Lanners has also served on the faculty of the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute and as a featured artist at the Amadeus Piano Festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She teaches applied piano, piano pedagogy, and class piano at OSU.

Colin McCall is a percussionist, collaborator, and photographer currently based out of Ann Arbor, MI. His goal as a musician is to find ways to present both complex and accessible percussion music in mediums which connect with audiences on a basic, human level. Through use of audience participation, original compositions, and multimedia components, he strives to develop a fresh and engaging performance style. Colin has seen success in several competitions, most recently being named the winner of both the Black Swamp Multi Percussion Competition and the Atlanta Symphony Modern Snare Drum Competition. He also participated in the renowned TROMP International Percussion Competition, and was a semi-finalist in the Northwestern Percussion Competition. As a videographer and collaborator, Colin has partnered with the Virginia Technical University Percussion Ensemble, Harvard Ballet Company, University of Missouri Percussion Ensemble, and Chautauqua Institution Theatre Company. Colin holds doctoral and master's degrees from the University of Michigan, where he worked under the tutelage of Joseph Gramley and Jonathan Ovalle. He also holds a bachelor's degree in music performance from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Michael Burritt. Colin proudly endorses the products of Innovative Percussion and Remo drumheads.